WHAT? Plan to build houses on flood-prone land

PHOTO: This aerial shot taken after the November 2020 flood shows, at the bottom, the extent of flooding on the proposed housing development site. Photo credit: Supplied / Peter Scott

A plan to build nearly 700 homes on a Napier flood plain is being attacked by a local councillor as making no sense.

The development led by local iwi Ngāti Kahungunu will be in one of the city’s lowest-lying areas.

It has been fast tracked by the government because of the hundreds of jobs and new houses it could bring.

But some say they are forgetting about the risks.

The land is by the suburb of Maraenui, along Riverbend Road.

Napier had a huge flood two years ago this month and this area was under water.

That was top of mind for regional councillor Neil Kirton.

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“The entire area was inundated with about one and a half to two metres of water that just simply sat for days. It’s simply not viable to be now considering that zone for housing – it makes no sense whatsoever.”

He said with the tsunami, flood and earthquake risks all converging on Napier, it was the “worst place in the world to build a city”.

“The housing need is dire and yes, that’s granted, but why put those houses in the most obscure and exposed environments that you can think of?

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“The solution doesn’t rest here, the solution rests in the western hills. Get the houses up above the flood zone and make a new start for the city.”

Backing on to the site is McNaughton Place, a street built about 15 years ago.

**McNaughton Place resident David Wood says massive infrastructure will have to be built to mitigate all the flood problems. Photo credit: RNZ**

Resident David Wood knew there was a huge flooding risk over his back fence.

“The infrastructure required here is massive – this is one of the areas that [Napier City] Council does actually use as a flood plain when we have really heavy rain, so they’re going to have to spend massive amounts of money on draining it and making sure it never floods again, and that’s the major sticking point.”

His neighbour Gordon Anderson agreed.

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“If we get another flood – like there is occurring in Westport and other places in New Zealand and Australia and they’re going to be more frequent – if we’re hearing about the environmental issues happening – this is just adding to a whole mixture of problems.”

The development was referred to a fast-tracking consent process about a year ago by Environment Minister David Parker as part of an effort to create jobs and housing and help the economy recover from COVID-19.

At the time, the Napier City Council told his ministry the developer did not appear to realise the site was a big flood plain.